Canadian doctoral dissertations follow a recognisable structure across most universities, but the exact rules — page counts, font sizes, margin widths, the order of front matter — vary by institution and even by department. This guide explains the standard format used across Canadian universities, highlights the differences you will encounter at the U15 research institutions, and gives you a chapter-by-chapter breakdown so you can plan the document before you start writing.
Standard Structure
A doctoral dissertation in Canada usually has the following main sections, presented in this order:
- Title Page — displays the dissertation title, your name, degree, supervisor, university, department, and submission date.
- Declaration of Authorship — a signed statement affirming that the work is your own.
- Abstract — a concise summary of 250–350 words covering the problem, methods, findings, and contribution.
- Acknowledgements — gratitude to supervisors, funders (Tri-Council, SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR), and personal supporters.
- Table of Contents — lists all chapters and sub-sections with page numbers.
- List of Figures & Tables — separately numbered, with captions.
- List of Abbreviations — if discipline-specific terms or acronyms are used heavily.
- Chapter 1: Introduction — sets out the research problem, questions, and significance.
- Chapter 2: Literature Review — critically analyses existing scholarship.
- Chapter 3: Methodology — design, sampling, data collection, analysis, ethics.
- Chapter 4–5: Results & Discussion — presentation and interpretation of findings.
- Chapter 6: Conclusion — contribution to knowledge, limitations, future research.
- References — full citation list in your discipline’s style (APA, MLA, Chicago, IEEE).
- Appendices — instruments, raw data summaries, ethics approval letters.
Page Count Expectations by Discipline
Dissertation length varies widely across disciplines. STEM dissertations tend to be shorter because data tables and experimental write-ups carry more weight than literary analysis; humanities dissertations are longer because the argument is built almost entirely through prose. The table below summarises typical ranges at Canadian doctoral-granting universities.
| Discipline | Typical Page Count | Typical Word Count | Chapters |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEM (Physics, Chemistry, Engineering) | 80–150 | 40,000–60,000 | 5–7 |
| Life Sciences (Biology, Nursing, Medicine) | 100–180 | 50,000–75,000 | 5–7 |
| Social Sciences (Sociology, Psychology, Education) | 150–250 | 70,000–100,000 | 5–6 |
| Business & Management | 120–200 | 60,000–90,000 | 5–7 |
| Humanities (English, History, Philosophy) | 200–350 | 80,000–120,000 | 4–6 |
| Law & Public Policy | 200–300 | 80,000–100,000 | 4–7 |
Formatting Conventions Across Canadian Universities
Every U15 university publishes a thesis-formatting manual that overrides any generic style guide. The most common conventions across Canadian universities are:
- Page size: 8.5″ × 11″ (US Letter), portrait orientation.
- Margins: 1.5″ on the left (binding edge); 1″ on top, bottom, and right.
- Font: 12 pt Times New Roman or 11 pt Arial / Calibri for body text; 10 pt for footnotes and table captions.
- Line spacing: double-spaced body text; single-spaced for quotations > 40 words, captions, and references.
- Pagination: Roman numerals (i, ii, iii) for front matter; Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3) starting at the Introduction.
- Chapter headings: centred, 14 pt bold, new page for each chapter.
- Citation style: dictated by your discipline — APA for psychology and education, MLA for English literature, Chicago for history, IEEE for engineering, Vancouver/AMA for medicine.
A few institution-specific variations worth flagging:
- University of Toronto (SGS): requires a 350-word abstract maximum, a non-exclusive licence to LAC, and submission via TSpace.
- McGill University: requires a French and English abstract (under bilingual policy), and a signed Thesis Submission form before defence scheduling.
- UBC: uses cIRcle for institutional archiving and accepts manuscript-style dissertations where chapters are based on published or publishable papers.
- Université de Montréal: permits dissertations in French or English; abstract required in both languages.
- Concordia University: uses Spectrum institutional repository and accepts the manuscript-based format with explicit chapter-by-chapter authorship statements.
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Sample Chapter Structure
Here is a typical breakdown for a 200-page social-sciences PhD dissertation. Use it as a planning template; the exact split shifts by discipline.
| Chapter | Pages | Words | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introduction | 20–30 | 8,000–12,000 | Problem, questions, significance, structure of the thesis |
| Literature Review | 35–55 | 14,000–22,000 | Theoretical framework, gaps in the literature |
| Methodology | 25–40 | 10,000–16,000 | Design, sampling, instruments, analysis, ethics |
| Results / Findings | 40–60 | 16,000–24,000 | Quantitative or qualitative outputs |
| Discussion | 25–40 | 10,000–16,000 | Interpretation against literature |
| Conclusion | 15–25 | 6,000–10,000 | Contribution, limitations, future research |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Ignoring your university’s formatting manual in favour of a generic template — this is the single most common reason for thesis-office rejection.
- Inconsistent citation style across chapters (e.g. APA mixed with footnotes).
- Submitting a draft with the “abstract” that is actually the introduction paragraph — the abstract must stand alone.
- Misnumbered figures and tables (always cross-check the List of Figures against the actual labels).
- Missing ethics-approval letters in the appendix when human-subjects research was conducted (TCPS 2 compliance is mandatory).
- Embedding non-licensed images without permission (kills the LAC archival licence).
Submission and Archival
Once the dissertation is signed off by the examining committee, you submit the final PDF to your university’s institutional repository. From there it is harvested by Library and Archives Canada (LAC) via the Theses Canada portal. LAC requires a non-exclusive licence allowing reproduction for research and education, which you grant during submission. If your dissertation contains commercially sensitive material or unpublished findings you intend to publish, you can request an embargo — typically 6 to 24 months — before the document is made publicly searchable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every Canadian university follow the same dissertation format?
The high-level structure (title page, abstract, chapters, references, appendices) is consistent across U15 and most other Canadian institutions, but margin widths, font choices, abstract word limits, and the order of front matter all vary. Always download your university’s current thesis-formatting manual before you start writing.
Can my dissertation chapters be based on published papers?
Yes — most Canadian universities now permit the manuscript-based format, where each results chapter is a published or publishable paper. UBC, McGill, Concordia, and Western are explicit supporters. You will need an authorship statement and copyright-clearance section if any chapter was already published.
Is the abstract limit 250 or 350 words?
It depends on your institution. U of T caps it at 350 words; UBC at 350; McGill at 350; many smaller universities allow up to 500 for PhD work. Always check the manual.
What citation style is most common in Canadian doctoral dissertations?
It depends on the discipline. APA dominates education, psychology, nursing, and most social sciences. MLA is used in English literature and modern languages. Chicago/Turabian is the norm in history. IEEE for electrical engineering and computer science. Vancouver or AMA for medicine and biomedical research. Your faculty will specify which one you must follow.
Can I write my dissertation in French at an Anglophone university?
At bilingual institutions (Ottawa, Laurentian, Glendon) yes. At most Anglophone universities you can submit in French only with prior written approval from your supervisory committee and faculty dean. Université de Montréal, Laval, UQAM, and Sherbrooke accept dissertations in either language by default.
How do I handle copyrighted images, surveys, or song lyrics in my dissertation?
You need either written permission from the rights-holder or you need to rely on the Canadian Copyright Act’s fair-dealing exceptions (research, private study, criticism, review). For LAC archival you must declare any included third-party copyrighted material. When in doubt, ask your university’s copyright office.
